VOLK

VOLK play the PILLLAR Forum Cafe on Wednesday, November 18, with Black Widows and Chokecherry opening. It's a three-band bill, so the night starts well before the headliner takes the stage.

VOLK is a Nashville duo — Chris Lowe on electric guitar and vocals, Eleot Reich on drums and main vocals — playing a high-octane blend of cowpunk, glam rock and alt-country. They describe it as "Country-Western meets Glam-Rock," and that's a fair way to put it: the twang of a country record pushed through a loud, distorted amp. They've been based in Nashville since 2016, and their first full-length album, Cashville, carries the city's name in the title.

Since settling in, they've shared stages with The Dead South, Nekromantix, Charley Crockett, Diarrhea Planet, Royal Thunder and Lincoln Durham. That's a wide spread of bills — from the rootsy stomp of The Dead South to the psych-rock of Diarrhea Planet — and it gives you a sense of where they fit. The cowpunk side pulls from the country tradition, the glam rock brings the loud guitars and the energy, and the alt-country keeps it grounded in songwriting. It's a loud, high-energy set that doesn't sit still.

The show is all ages, so you can bring whoever you want. Doors open at 6 PM, and the music starts at 6:30 PM, with Black Widows and Chokecherry playing before VOLK. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 on the day of the show, and the venue is at 2300 NE Central Ave in Minneapolis.